Plot Synopsis: (via IMDB)A continuation of the saga created by George Lucas and set thirty years after Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983).

A Note Before I Start The Review:

I saw this movie at midnight last night and I don’t normally like to review movies so soon after seeing them since I like to give things some thought first and to search my feelings. Naturally, I’m going to be on a massive high immediately after seeing a new STAR WARS movie! But when I think back to The Phantom Menace, it’s likely that I would have given that a good review if I’d written one 30 minutes after it finished. Can you imagine?! So bear with me as I try to be rational while I write this.

I may actually re-visit this movie again in a week and do another post about it and see if my opinion has changed but, for now, these are the initial thoughts of a fairly big Star Wars fan. I’ll also give you my husband’s initial thoughts (he’s been a HUGE Star Wars fan his whole life) and my six-year-old daughter’s initial thoughts (she’s quite possibly the biggest six-year-old female Star Wars fan on the entire planet).

My Opinion:

My Star Wars fandom on a scale of 1-10: 7.5

(AGAIN, NO SPOILERS. PROMISE.)

I still can’t believe I’ve finally seen it! The Force Awakens. The movie my husband and daughter have been talking about (and slightly annoying me with) for what feels like YEARS. As with any huge movie like this, especially for myself and my husband and anyone else our age who grew up with the original trilogy, no Star Wars movie will ever live up to our high expectations. I personally don’t think it will ever be possible to again capture the magic of the original trilogy but I do know that a big part of that will also be my age talking. Can an adult really love a movie in the same way a kid can? When I think of all my favorite movies, the vast majority are from my childhood & teen years.

Will my daughter feel the same way about The Force Awakens & the movies to follow as my husband & I feel about the original trilogy? I think that’s a definite yes. She already loves the Star Wars universe (she’s seen all but Revenge Of The Sith – she’s still too young) and she’s now the perfect age to grow up with the new movies. And I couldn’t be more happy that she’s the perfect age for these as they’ll be “her” Star Wars movies while the original trilogy will be “mommy’s & daddy’s” Star Wars movies. More importantly, she’ll see these as hers more than the prequels. Because…. Yes! I can confirm that The Force Awakens is much better than the prequels! Thank goodness.

I’ve really avoided all reviews of this so far as I wanted to know as little as possible so the only thing I’ve read a few times now is that The Force Awakens “captures the spirit” of the original trilogy. I’d say that’s a pretty accurate statement. I won’t pretend that it didn’t take a little getting used to or that it wasn’t a little odd seeing characters like Han Solo & Princess Leia all these years later. It’ll probably be easier for a new generation to immediately buy into this film as they won’t have quite as much of an attachment to these older characters but I have to say that they’ve done an absolutely fantastic job bringing a whole new set of characters to life.

I already love Rey. I love that my daughter already loves Rey. Just like Leia, she’s a very strong female character. I’m loving the strong female characters in movies these past couple of years! About damn time. Sorry to regulars here who have heard me go on about this before but if you have a daughter, you’ll understand. Positive female role models have become very important to me since she came along.

After the prequels, I can’t say I personally really had any “favorite new Star Wars characters”. After The Force Awakens, I have lots of new favorites. Besides Rey, there was… Finn! I loved Finn! I wasn’t quite sure how his character would fit in but he’s great as were his relationships with the other characters. BB-8!!!! As I’ve said here before, R2-D2 is my favorite Star Wars character so I’m clearly partial to loveable droids. BB-8 is almost as cool as R2! (And that’s saying a lot because R2-D2 is the coolest robot ever). Poe Dameron! I’d not exactly loved Oscar Isaac in anything before this but I liked his character a lot – he very much feels like someone out of the original trilogy. Kylo Ren! Hmm. Yeah. Good. Yes. Still making my mind up on him… Sorry – I’ve only just finished the movie – my mind is still racing! I know people love a good baddie. Is he a good baddie? Yes, I’d say they’ve created a great character here (better than any baddies in the prequels for sure).

There are some other new characters I also liked but they weren’t really in the trailers much so I’ll leave those out to remain spoiler-free. Then, of course, there were the original trilogy characters! Naturally, seeing them put a huge smile on my face but I really am impressed with how well they did with the new characters and making us care just as much about them as we did about our old favorites. The characters, in my opinion, really are the absolute best thing about The Force Awakens.

What else? Oh my god I need to sleep. I still have to work in the morning! 😉 Not only were the characters great but so was the dialogue and the banter and the way they interacted with each other. We got some funny, lighthearted moments. We didn’t get any of the horrible, cheesy dialogue like in the prequels (and, dare I say, the original trilogy a little bit?).

The look of the film was good – it felt like it was still a part of the same universe as the original trilogy in a way that the prequels didn’t quite manage. The story, which I can obviously say nothing about, was good. Was it the best story possible of the myriad of stories they could’ve done? Hmm. I don’t know. But I did enjoy it and am happy with the end result.

I need to wrap this up soon so I can sleep for a couple of hours but, clearly, I’m initially quite happy with The Force Awakens. It’s not a “perfect” film but I’d have a hard time picking out many flaws. Let me mull it over a little more while I give you some very brief initial thoughts from my daughter & husband…

My Daughter’s Opinion:

Her Star Wars fandom on a scale of 1-10: 8

She liked the film a lot but it was pretty much a given that she would. I’m very happy that Rey lived up to her expectations and can tell you that Rey was definitely her favorite thing about the film (followed closely, I think, by adorable BB-8). She got upset a couple of times and the film is a bit dark but it’s still nowhere near as dark as Revenge Of The Sith, which I won’t be letting her watch until she’s much older. She declared the movie was a “9 out of 10!” as we left the cinema but then in the car said “I thought The Force Awakens would be better than it was” so figure that one out. Kids! So indecisive. 😉 I think the “dark bits” made her say that but I think she’ll end up loving the movie just fine once she gets more used to it. And I’d say that it’s Rey who very much made the film for her. Yay Rey!

My Husband’s Opinion: (as written by him)

His Star Wars fandom on a scale of 1-10: 9

Where do I start? Well, it’s not “MY Star Wars” (and let’s face it, it truly never COULD be).. but it’s not far off.

In one of the TV spots, you hear a character say they see the same eyes in different people if you live long enough.

This episode HAS the eyes of the Star Wars that I grew up with. The magic, the soul, the used universe, the spirit, the humour, the dirt, the wonder, the hero’s journey, the oddities, the surprises AND the familiar are all there in droves.

The best thing for me was to see a new Star Wars through the new eyes of our daughter, for whom THIS Star Wars will hold just as much magic as the original trilogy and better yet, will give her an important cinematic icon to relate to in Rey. She and her generation will ensure Star Wars lives on without looking “so old to young eyes” thanks to JJ, KK and company and their careful balance of reverential echoes and imaginative new ideas.

The balance between pleasing the OT generation and each new generation since has been achieved as much as it can be, given Hollywood marketing forces these days.

Despite some flaws in editing & soundtrack, The Force Awakens shows us even more clearly where the prequels got it wrong. Occasionally I wondered if too many ideas from A New Hope were being echoed here. (Which if you are any degree of Star Wars fan you would know is all part of the will of The Force anyway?)

But I will take that over the prequels’ fart jokes and Jar Jar in a heartbeat.

Without making excuses for anyone, this DOES truly rekindle the magic for a new generation – and for most of the old. Star Wars is back. But of course, in our household Star Wars never went away… Star Wars is forever!

My Summary:

**This updated summary is being written after a second viewing four days later**

I knew that my initial reaction to The Force Awakens was probably due to me needing more time to accept the film into the Star Wars universe that I love and know so well. I figured it would just be a case of me needing to see the new film a few more times but a second viewing was all that I needed: The Force AwakensISStar Wars.

I care about new characters such as Rey & Finn as much as I did about Leia, Luke & Han. BB-8 is amazing and fits in perfectly with my most beloved and iconic pair of droids. I still think the “baddies” are a little weak in this (Snoke and especially Hux) but my opinion on Kylo Ren has gone up slightly on a second viewing. I’ve always liked the good guys more anyway and they’re perfect in The Force Awakens.

More than anything, though, Rey really makes this film. I’m not saying that because I’m a girl – I just think Daisy Ridley is fantastic and, let’s be honest, out-acts everyone in all seven films. Oh, and I really like her theme within the score (which I wish I could say I noticed throughout the film much more than I did but her theme was the only new part of the score that really stood out for me).

Any flaws this film has are really quite minor and more than made up for by just how strong the new characters are. I can now firmly say that I love this film and that it’s helped even further to make the prequels, which I rarely even gave a second thought when I thought of Star Wars anyway, a distant memory in my mind.

The Force Awakens is fantastic. I love it. To those who think the movie with go down in people’s estimations once the excitement has died down, I have to say that the opposite has occurred with me. I think some initial reactions have actually been overly critical. It will be interesting to see where it ranks in everyone’s mind once all the films have come out. As great as it is, though, it will never be higher than fourth place for me as I’ll always love the original trilogy the most. But it’s a very close fourth place! Far closer than I had thought possible.

That’s ok. I cried before it even started because it was just so cool to be there with all other fans, a lot of people still dressing up even if it wasn’t a premiere and everyone equally excited. 😀 Loved the film!

Lol. I ALMOST became emotional when it started. 😉 Glad to hear you loved it! I did too but I’m still trying to fully decide what I think of it & what I’d rate it compared to the original trilogy. It’s certainly my fourth favorite (a million miles ahead of the prequels!). But nothing will ever beat the original trilogy so that’s what I expected. 🙂

A family event! Very cool. I’m watching this Saturday morning and I appreciate you didn’t put any spoilers in. I’m glad to hear your initial reactions were favorable. Looking forward to seeing the old and meeting the new. I am curious how J.J. Abrams directs and Oscar Isaac handles his role.

It was a great way to see it – my daughter will forever remember us all going to it. 🙂 I hope you enjoy it! Can’t wait to hear your thoughts. I’ve not yet had time to read any reviews so hope to hit all the Force Awakens reviews on the blogs over the weekend. I really liked Oscar Isaac’s character. And all the new characters. They’re great! 🙂

Thanks! And you’re welcome! 😉 I hate when people spoil things for me so I try to be careful. I hope you enjoy it!! I’ve not had time for blog reading so close to Xmas but I’m hoping to hit the WordPress Force Awakens reviews soon. Still not read any!

great review! from all 3 of u. my initial reaction was that as much as I love ur enthusiasm, I couldn’t believe u took ur 6 yr old daughter to the midnight showing. I went with my wife to an 11am showing on opening day and next week I’ll take the kids. I’m looking forward to seeing what the kids think of it, but the kid in me loved it!

Not fair that u won’t give this one a rating… It’s clearly in my 2015 top five as of now 🙂

BTW, u should be honored, I read this review of ur immediately after we left the theater yesterday and went to have lunch at McDonalds 🙂

I also agree that I think that Mr. Mutant should be writing this blog 🙂

You don’t realize how much of a Star Wars fan she is. 😉 She got loads of sleep before and after the film. But all future comments should be directed at Mr. Mutant since he should be writing this blog instead of me! ;-p I’ll try to give it a rating soon if I do that follow-up post. 🙂

Cool to read an entire family’s opinions! My reaction is somewhere around the same as you guys. It’s not perfect, and I think a second viewing will really help to figure out whether I love it, but I feel really, really tingly inside having just seen it! The new characters were great, and I think what Abrams has done with Rey is the best thing to happen to blockbusters this year. It is really set up for some interesting character stories to develop.

Yeah – it sounds like we feel the same! I’m still trying to sort out my feelings but I’m so happy that this was damn good (especially compared to the prequels!). Totally agreed about Rey – what an amazing character. And a girl! As a nerd girl with a nerd daughter, I can’t help but love a female lead in a sci-fi film (especially STAR WARS). 🙂 Can’t wait to read your review! Is it up? I’ve had no time to read ANY yet. Hoping to read all the WordPress reviews of this over the next few days. 🙂

Not yet! I will try and write/post something today. I think Rey will inspire lots of girls, which is great. It feels like there has been a good gender balance in blockbusters this year, aside from the superhero films maybe, but she is my favourite of the lot.

Great write-up! As a fellow somewhat sleepy Star Wars fan this morning, I am also working through my emotions about the movie. 😉 I’m very, very pleased with this. I was a kid when the prequels came out, but “The Empire Strikes Back” is my all-time favorite film. It’s impossible for a new film to live up to that, but “The Force Awakens” made me feel that same sense of magic. I felt like a little kid again, sitting in the theater and watching it on the big screen. A thumb’s up from me!

Thanks! Hehe. I was a kid when the original trilogy came out. I’m so old! 😉 I know you’re a big Star Wars fan too so I’m glad you enjoyed this as well. 🙂 It seems us big fans of the original trilogy really enjoyed it but are still trying to fully sort out our feelings on it. I’ve had no time to read any reviews yet so I’m going to work my way through them all on WordPress over the next few days. Can’t wait to read yours! I’m most interested in hearing from the biggest Star Wars fans. 🙂 I’ll follow this up at some point too -still not sure on my final rating yet!

I’m hoping to see it again over the holidays; there was a lot of take in on the first viewing, especially since I spent so much time just pinching myself and wondering, “Am I really here? Is there really a new Star Wars film?” 😉

The film is quite overwhelming, but you still write and excellent piece. We’ll have to wait and see how this sits with the originals, I have a feeling that many will call it the best yet right now, but will pull back a little over time. That said, I think its a breathtaking piece of cinema.

Sorry I’m so behind on replying – just catching up now after Christmas! Thanks for the comment. 🙂 I did watch this a second time & I’m happy to say that it actually went up in my estimation. I think I was actually a little harsh at first! It just took some getting used to but I love some of the new characters just as much as the original trilogy characters. Which is amazing! 🙂

Sorry I’m so behind on replying – just catching up now after Christmas! Indeed – they did an excellent job with the dialogue and making these characters feel so “real” and likeable. Amazing how unlike the prequels this is! 🙂

Great Post!
SW:VII is an absolute triumph, although several extra minutes wld have been v much appreciated.
Want to see more of Dameron in action, and some decent scenes w Cap Phasma, who was barely used at all.
A tad miffed that w are no closer to finding out who Rey really is – Ridley was fantastic.
So good to see Leia – and Luke – again.https://bradscribe.wordpress.com/2015/12/19/star-wars-the-force-awakens-review/
Cheers!

Thanks! 🙂 I’ve seen it a second time now and can now say that I truly love it. Yes, I want to see more of those characters. More of everyone! Ridley really was great and, yes, great to see the old favorites again too. 🙂

I love the family review style. You all had great points too. It’s so cool your daughter will grow up with a hero like Rey to inspire her. It’s hard to separate the excitement from the initial review… but that’s a good thing. Imagine if we got the prequels again. I’m with your hubby on this one (who also wrote a good review!). I loved it, and can’t wait to see again!

Thanks! It’s fun to do these family reviews sometimes, especially on a big movie like this. 🙂 I’m glad I was rational about the movie at first. 😉 I didn’t want to be all “this is awesome!!! 10/10!” until I’d thought about it some more.

Oh, I loved Ex Machina too! 🙂 Although it wasn’t a perfect film so I gave it an 8. It’s easily my third favorite this year, though (I’ve been working on my year end top ten list). What made me wait a bit on rating The Force Awakens, actually, was Fury Road. I wanted to decide which of the two was actually my favorite this year. If I’m honest, Fury Road is the better “film”. But it’s not Star Wars, so The Force Awakens JUST beats it to first place. 🙂 I’ve actually seen none of the other films you mentioned!

Machina was so great for me because of the participatory stuff, like trying to figure out who’s good and who’s bad, or the motives behind each conversation. Even if I was way off my predictions as the story unfolded, I loved the experience. I hate being right anyways. I love surprises.

I also have to get to my Top 10 list soon. I’ve been catching up on the Oscar buzz flicks. I enjoyed the Mad Max experience, but my reaction is a little tame compared to most.It was the best roller coaster ride this year though. I’ll say that for sure!

Best dramas include Steve Jobs, Straight Outta Compton, Bone Tomahawk, and Creed, so far. It’s been a really good for movies, the fun & the serious.

I said I’d do a follow-up post with more of my thoughts on The Force Awakens as I was still letting it all sink in as I wrote my review at 3am last Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
I’ve now seen the film a second time. I knew after the first viewing that I thought it was very good & that I loved the new characters but I wanted to be sure I still felt that way several days later.
So I’m reblogging my original review but this time I’ve updated my summary at the end and, finally, given the movie my rating out of ten. 🙂

I have! I’ll write a full review before long, but I really enjoyed it. It’s kind of hard to process on a first viewing — new Star Wars! Weird! I can see why a lot of initial reactions have just been, “it’s definitely better than the prequels.”

I enjoyed it profusely. And I can honestly say it’s a better movie than the first three films. Though nostalgia will not be outdone. And I say that comparing them individually not as a trilogy. It’s unfair to compare characters that I’ve known for 30 years in three films with characters I just met. The Empire Strikes Back is one of my all time favorite films because we get to know those guys from the first movie so much better. But if I just say, compare first movie to first movie without taking the iconic and historic into consideration. I think it’s better than A New Hope, slightly better than Empire and a whole lot better than Return of The Jedi. But I’ve only seen it once. I know I’ll like it even more when I see it again in IMAX or 3D and I know there will be an extended version with all the stuff Disney had them cut out, to squeeze every last dollar out of the historic first-run by getting one extra showing each day per screen. So I forgive it for moving a bit too fast. I knew Disney would screw up something. But the story and the characters and the fact that those new guys were fans of the original heroes just like us, that was fantastic.

Wow – glad you loved this so much! I definitely knew I loved it after the second viewing but it did take “getting used to”. I know I could never EVER like it more than the original trilogy. I don’t think I could say it’s “better”, either. Just more modern, I guess. Will be interesting to see where the kid ranks all the films after seeing & growing up with all the new ones. I actually hesitated to rate this one as I SO loved Fury Road this year and that was the one I was comparing it to in my mind (almost more than other Star Wars films). And, although The Force Awakens is my favorite this year due to my love of Star Wars, I gotta say that Fury Road is still the slightly better “film”. But it’s not STAR WARS. 🙂

Wow! Quite interesting to read all of that! So much to take in, especially as I could feel the energy and excitement from when you wrote it after having seen it. So far, in the last hour, I’ve just been amazed by what everyone’s saying and how the film resonates in different ways. Even to the extent that the flaws in it aren’t things they’re too weighted down by. I think I am glad I haven’t been able to get around to mine as there’s clearly much to think about. Not only that, but I think I officially want to go see this film again!

Thanks! 🙂 Sorry I’m so behind on replying – stupid Christmas got in the way. 😉 Have you reviewed this yet? Or seen it again? I really am glad I went a second time as I knew I DID indeed love this film after a second viewing – it just took some getting used to!

TOM!!!!! Thanks!! Sorry I’m so behind on replying – stupid Christmas got in the way of blogging, dammit. 😉 I hate Christmas! Aw, your cool points are still through the roof! You were actually quite enthusiastic in your review considering you aren’t a Star Wars fan. That’s great! I hate when people instantly trash something whether or not it deserves it. You were honest & that’s cool. 🙂

I can’t believe you’ve already seen it twice!
My star wars fandom is a 0 – I’d never seen a single movie before this. And I enjoyed it. I liked Finn over Rey. She felt a little drab to me, but I still would like to see more from her and find out what that mysterious back story is.
I definitely thought the bad guys were weak. I’m not impressed with Kylo yet – but there’s a lot of mystery there as well.
I was surprised by how much I really did like seeing the original people up on the screen. Having no prior experience of them, I didn’t realize it would be still cool to see those icons back in action.

I don’t mean this in a bad way but I’m always amazed that there are people who haven’t seen a Star Wars film. Lol. Hmm.. That sounded kind of bitchy. I wasn’t trying to sound bitchy! 🙂 I just find it fascinating. That’s cool that you enjoyed this anyway, not being a fan at all. I’ve read a few reviews from people who aren’t big Star Wars fans & they all gave this one positive reviews so I guess it must be pretty good. 🙂 I can’t wait to learn more about these characters! Believe me, having such a good female character as the LEAD in this beloved sci-fi series is fantastic. Leia is great but was always pushed aside a bit. I’m loving the girl power! 🙂

Hux came off like he studied Hitler speeches, but heard some critics disliking it for being over the top. I totally agree with your point about Rey. She’s the best action hero in a long time! I loved her theme too. I noticed it early with the slight stirring of piano keys. Awesome.

Thanks for considering your rating so much. It helps solidify your high rating. Also interesting to see the score go up. Right on.

Yeah, Hux was totally over the top. It was kind of like some of the bad acting in the other Star Wars films. I like that Daisy Ridley is such a great actress in this – there’s no cheesiness like there is with the other films (including my beloved original trilogy a bit). I’m behind on comments because of Christmas. Have you seen it again? I want to go a third time!! 😉

Melissa!!! Hi!!! Sorry I’m so behind on replying because of Christmas & all that. Hope you had a good one! 🙂 God I love BB-8. I want one! R2-D2 is my favorite Star Wars character so I can’t believe they managed to make a droid just as cool as R2. And YAY for a great female LEAD character in Star Wars! Have you been posting anything? I have to get back into the swing of things too. December is always so hectic that I had to skip reading blogs completely. Can’t wait to get back on top of things now! Hey – what did you think of The Walking Dead?

Yes seriously BB-8 was the coolest. I literally been telling my husband the same thing… that I want my own droid like him. lol. I am trying to get back into the swing of things and posting. I have actually been helping my friend out with her site and writing reviews for her and stupid me, I haven’t posted them on my site. So I am going to start that and post what I have done so far and try to stay on top of that. December has felt so hectic, like I haven’t been in the mood to do crap since I have been so busy. Hope you had a nice Christmas with your family!!! And yes TWD was okay… they do this every year get stuck somewhere and then have a huge epiphany or blow out and then leave. I want something new and fresh. What did you think of it? I did like when Carol wore that bandana and went crazy. Hell yeah!

Ha! Yeah, Carol is the best thing about TWD lately. 🙂 Oh yes – you gotta post those on your own site too! I’ve been relying on reblogging my older stuff to keep in the swing of things a bit. BB-8! Let’s get one. We can share him. 🙂

Great family review. That was a fun read, and you are on point on all of it. Though I was a bit more critical. Since you asked about America, here’s what this guy thought of it (I had to finish the review late at night to make the embargo lift at the ungodly hour of 3:01 a.m.– so bear in mind I only spent a few hours on it): http://indieethos.com/2015/12/16/star-wars-the-force-awakens/